Canal Fulton council seeks grant for water tower

Tuesday

KEY ACTION: With an application deadline looming, council agreed to apply for a grant from the Ohio Public Works Commission to build a water tower on the west side of the city.

DISCUSSION: In a 4-2 vote with Sue Mayberry and Bonnie Donaldson opposed, council members suspended the rules and voted to pass under emergency a resolution to apply for the grant. Mayberry said that council hadn’t even reviewed a recently completed study regarding the water tower and wouldn’t do so until 6 p.m. on Sept. 18 when the Public Services Committee will meet. But Mayor Joseph Schultz explained that council needs to apply for grant money now to meet the deadline for application. Once council members have that information, they then will know how much they would need to put towards the $1.75 million project. He emphasized that council is not bound to spending the grant money, and even if the grant is awarded to the city, they do not need to accept it

OTHER ACTION:

Accepted a $5,000 donation from the Olde Canal Days Festival to use towards the cost of Isabella, a horse recently purchased by the city to pull the St. Helena III canal boat. The organization puts on the annual Olde Canal Days Festival and donates the profits to community groups.Heard that the Fire Department has received two Assistance to Firefighters grants from the Federal Emergency Management Agency. A grant of nearly $50,000 with a 5-percent city match will be used to buy a system that loads cots into an ambulance. Out of a nearly $659,000 regional grant for mobile radios, Canal Fulton will receive about $85,000 with a city match of $4,250. Other fire departments participating in the regional grant include Perry and Nimishillen townships as well as North Lawrence, Beach City and Brewster.Schultz told council members that he has had a survey and replats done of an area on Baylor Place in preparation to vacate the alley. Because the cost fell below $5,000, he did not need council approval. A vacation means the city no longer will maintain the alley and the land, which is owned by the city, will be divided among the abutting property owners. However, the city will keep an easement through the alley. The city wants to vacate many of its alleys, because residents have planted trees or built fences and outbuildings in the alleys, and the alleys are of no real use to the city. Legislation will be prepared and undergo three readings before the vacation is put to a vote.Schultz also told council that a yard waste site has been developed on the north side of the new maintenance building at 960 Milan St. Plans are to have the site operating within the next two weeks. Only woody yard waste will be accepted. Grass and leaves will be prohibited. The site will be manned. Days and hours of operation will be announced. Schultz also told council that he wants to work with the Lawrence Township trustees to use their front end loader to load the yard waste to be hauled away and allow Lawrence Township residents to use the site for a period of time. In addition, the mayor said he would like to apply for a grant from the Stark-Tuscarawas-Wayne Joint Solid Waste District to buy a grinder to turn the yard waste into mulch and make it available to residents.Schultz advised any residents who received a letter to trim trees overhanging the streets and were unable to do so to contact him at 330-949-3520 to make arrangements to have the work done.Schultz told council he has met with a representative of the Summit County Metropolitan Sewer District about providing the Village of Clinton with sanitary sewer services. Council will soon have to make a decision about offering some of their sewage treatment capacity to the village. Council member Eric Whittington stated he was concerned about possibly limiting the city’s future growth if they agree to provide sewer to Clinton, while council member Sue Mayberry expressed her fears of “biting off more than they (the city) can chew” and not being able to handle it.Heard a presentation by Danny Buck about his Eagle Scout project. He wants to install a “Welcome to Canal Fulton” sign on Cherton Street. The sign will be like the other existing signs welcoming people to the city. A large part of his project will be to raise more than $600 for the sign and posts, installation and a flower bed at its base.Heard that the city has posted signs prohibiting through trucks on Cherton Street and lowered the speed limit to 30 mph. The action is in response to a Lawrence Township resident’s complaint and a speed study conducted by the Lawrence Township Police Department. The street is in both the city and the township.Law Director Scott Fellmeth told council that Donald R. Hicks’ appeal to the courts to stop the demolition of two properties at 156 W. Cherry St. and 147 Market St. W was denied by the courts and that razing the buildings will go forward. In July, Council had declared the buildings “unsafe, structurally defective and unfit for human habitation.”Approved an ordinance calling for up to two sergeants’ positions in the Police Department. Police Chief Douglas Swartz hopes to fill both positions in 2019 if the budget allows.Approved an agreement with Stark County Parks District and the Stark County Regional Planning Commission to fund the Canal Fulton Active Transportation and Connectivity Plan. The agreement spells out the amounts several groups will contribute to the plan to add pathways for bicycles and pedestrians, including sidewalks, along Cherry, Canal and Locust streets, as well as to link a future trail through land owned by Stark Parks with the Towpath Trail. The Stark County Regional Planning Commission has approved a grant to pay Environmental Design Group $45,000 to develop the plan. Stark County Area Transportation Study will supply $25,000 towards the project with Stark Parks and Canal Fulton each contributing $10,000.Suspended the rules and passed by emergency a resolution approving a separation agreement with Jeff Boak. Boak is taking early retirement from his assistant utility superintendent’s position because of his health.

UP NEXT: Meet at 7 p.m. Sept. 18 at City Hall.

JOAN PORTER

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